Glaucous Gull at Goring Gap.

I was sitting at home feeling sorry for myself and regretting the fact that I hadn't joined Martin for a day's birding when I saw a tweet from Nick Bond. "Glaucous Gull at Goring Gap" and it was sent only five minutes previous. Another five minutes and the car was loaded, a further five minutes to get there and the first photo was in the camera in next to no time. Although the light was good and the bird posed occasionally between extensive bouts of sleeping it was still a good way off. Anyway, with it duly recorded on a day where the falling temperatures were no incentive to hang about, it was time for home. It is amazing what restorative powers the presence of a year tick on the local patch can have, by the time I reached home my aches and pains were much diminished - I always said birding was good for the health - that's why I go so often.

Well hidden amongst the other gulls.



When it stood up it was like the proverbial sore thumb.

 



Living in close proximity to other gulls has its downside.

Many thanks for the tweet Nick - keep 'em coming!

Nice to see a Black-headed Gull coming into summer plumage already.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Twitch

It's a bit of a rarity for me - birding on a Sunday. However, an invitation to twitch the Kumlien's Gull on Littlehampton beach couldn't be turned down. Actually the bird was finally seen on the golf course and at a fair distance. A bit like searching for the proverbial needle but with the help of other birders I managed to get on it, after the distraction of an adult Glaucous Gull putting in an appearance.

It's in there somewhere

Adult Glaucous

Heads up!

Approaching golfer flushes the bird

After a half an hour of scanning every gull on the west beach we opted for home and a cup of tea. Of course about half an hour after we left the bird relocated to the east beach and was easily seen.

Glaucous Gull

Having missed the Glaucous Gull earlier in the week I decided to venture out early to Shoreham Fort. Things didn't look too hopeful when I arrived, several birders reporting a no show. However, it was pleasant standing around in the early morning sunshine, a change not to be soaked or blown away. Then, just as I was thinking of giving up, the bird was located on the eastern side of the harbour, fairly distant but recorded and ticked. The bird then took off and did a flyby before returning to the harbour wall. This movement caused the assembled birders to scatter in search of the bird, which obligingly repeated the flyby, this time closer, before settling in the inner harbour for a snooze amongst the Herring Gulls.

 

Nice to make the re-acquaintance of several birders that I have met in the past, especially Dave Smith otherwise known on Flickr as Grandalfthegrey , who I last met at Lavington some two years ago - doesn't time fly?